Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.

Roughly 66 percent more Americans suffer from myopia today compared with the early '70s.

Research from the National Eye Institute finds that while 27 percent of Americans between the ages of 12 and 54 had myopia in as recently as 1972, the rate spiked to 42 percent in 1999-2004. Myopia is the elongation of the eyeballs, which makes objects in the distance appear blurry. (You know it better as "nearsightedness.") It can be treated easily with glasses, contact lenses or surgery -- though in rare instances it can lead to blindness.

While genetics is a big factor in determining who becomes myopic, "near work," such as Web surfing, reading and texting, can also contribute to the development of nearsightedness. Experts suggest going outside and focusing on the horizon as a way to counterbalance the toll "near work" takes on the eyes.

Going outside and looking around? Is there an app for that?